Tuesday, May 03, 2016

today (3rd of May 2016) is the publishing day of an anthology which I had the pleasure to read before. Thanks to author and friend of the blog Alex J. Cavanaugh because he was involved in the action that I got an ARC of

What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!" [Source]

Anthologies are like a grab bag. Most of the time you do not know what you will get. The good thing is that normally all stories are related to one topic.
It is an excellent opportunity to discover new authors.

So what will you get with Parallels:Felix was here?

My summary:

Pensive and manifold views into parallel earth not without a glimmer of hope.

Even it sounds like the end of my review I can assure you it is not.

The ten stories of Parallels:Felix was here deliver ten different approaches to parallel worlds. Not all plots are new under the sun. It is nothing bad in picking up familiar plots as long as the execution is well done in an entertaining and sometimes thoughtful way.

I liked nine of the ten stories. I struggled with the tenth and last one.

This is what I thought about each of the stories

Felix was here
I admit that is is my favourite story. Strong characters in and emotional story set in an alternate future. A good intention does not always lead to a satisfying result and in the end the people who have to cope with such intentions have to pay the price.

Rainers
After reading the story you will think about rainstorms in a different way. And other dimensions could look very similar except few details ...

WIN
A look into a not so far away future. Access to an always available pool of information by using an implant chip. But what do you do when something troubles the system?

Ground Zero
An intense and different approach to Ground Zero. I wanted to read more.

The Mirror People
People living on both sides of the mirror connected maybe not a totally new idea but the execution is well done which let you think about it afterwards.t

EVER-TONA scientific story with an unusual premise: What happens when weight matters in the question of survival.

Folds in Life and Death

An interesting concept how to cope with life and death by using magic and paper.

The Seventeen
A medical thriller with a whistle blower.

Scrying the Plane
Virtual reality is a hot topic and this story takes it to a new level.

Haunted
The most difficult story for me. It confused me and kept me think about it after I finished it.

I find it most difficult to describe short stories without giving away to much.
All in all a really interesting anthology.